Morality, Policy, and the Brain
Journal of Economic Literature
vol. 56,
no. 1, March 2018
(pp. 217-33)
Abstract
The book Moral Tribes: Emotion, Reason, and the Gap between Us and Them, by Joshua Greene, invites the reader to give a new look at the foundation of ethics and, by implication, to policy. Its specific strength is the systematic integration of new methods from neuroscience into a very old debate. Having something new and substantial to add in an investigation that has been at the center of the philosophical debate in Western civilization for twenty-five centuries is remarkable. While I invite everyone to read and enjoy this wonderful book, I take here the opportunity to invite economists to take the challenge. We are particularly interested in the question, "Is there a specific contribution that economics can give to this debate?" I believe there is and this insight is now in danger of being lost. This is my attempt to indicate where the research should look now. Maybe it is not too late.Citation
Rustichini, Aldo. 2018. "Morality, Policy, and the Brain." Journal of Economic Literature, 56 (1): 217-33. DOI: 10.1257/jel.20161260Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- D12 Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
- D63 Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
- D87 Neuroeconomics
- Z13 Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification